The Signal's Journey
In 1971, Ye Wenjie used the Red Coast Base's transmission equipment and her discovery of the sun's electromagnetic wave amplification effect to secretly transmit a signal containing information about Earth's civilization into the cosmos. This signal expanded through space at the speed of light, and after traversing approximately four light-years of vast interstellar space, reached one of the nearest star systems to the solar system — the Alpha Centauri triple-star system, home to the Trisolaran civilization.
The Trisolaran civilization was in the midst of yet another Chaotic Era when it received the signal. Composed of three stars, the Trisolaran system's three-body dynamics made the planet's orbital trajectory extremely unstable, with civilization cycling between Stable and Chaotic Eras, having experienced hundreds of cycles of destruction and rebuilding. The Trisolarans had long sought a stable new homeland, and the signal from Earth was undoubtedly a monumental discovery — another intelligent civilization existed in the universe, and its technological level was far below that of the Trisolaran civilization, meaning Earth could become an ideal colonization target.
Listener 1137's Warning
However, not all Trisolaran individuals supported the plan to invade Earth. A minority faction within Trisolaran society held moral objections to aggression against other civilizations. When Earth's signal was captured by the Trisolaran monitoring system, the first to encounter it was a listener designated as Number 1137.
Listener 1137 was a pacifist. Upon learning of Earth's civilization and the invasion decision the Trisolaran governing body was about to make, he made an extremely dangerous personal choice — using his access to the monitoring equipment, he secretly transmitted a warning message back to Earth without authorization. The message was brief and urgent: "Do not answer! Do not answer! Do not answer!" He explained in the message: your signal has been received by our civilization, your planet's location has been preliminarily determined. If you reply to this message, we will be able to precisely lock onto your planet's coordinates, at which point an invasion fleet will be dispatched. Therefore, do not answer, destroy all transmission equipment, and remain silent in the universe — this is your only chance of survival.
Listener 1137 understood full well what this act entailed. Under the Trisolaran society's harsh collectivist regime, unauthorized contact with an alien civilization constituted the highest level of treason, and discovery would certainly mean execution. He risked his life to send this warning out of compassion for an innocent civilization and as an act of conscience against the Trisolaran governing body's expansionist policies.
Ye Wenjie's Choice
After traveling through space for approximately four years, the signal reached Earth in 1979 and was captured by the Red Coast Base's receiving equipment. As one of the base's core researchers, Ye Wenjie decoded the signal's content immediately. She fully understood the meaning of "Do not answer" and the enormous warning it contained — continuing to reply would allow Earth's location to be precisely determined, potentially inviting an alien invasion.
However, after enduring the living hell of the Cultural Revolution, witnessing her father beaten to death, experiencing betrayal and persecution, Ye Wenjie's faith in human civilization had completely collapsed. She no longer believed humanity could achieve self-redemption, no longer believed that the good in human nature could triumph over evil. In her view, human civilization was terminally ill, and only the intervention of an external force could bring genuine change. Deep within, she reached a startling conclusion: even if the arrival of an alien civilization might mean humanity's extinction, that was preferable to allowing humanity to continue degenerating through mutual slaughter.
Ye Wenjie did not report the receipt of an extraterrestrial signal to anyone. She made the decision to reply entirely on her own. Using the Red Coast Base's equipment, she transmitted another signal to the Trisolaran world, not only confirming Earth's civilization's existence and location but explicitly expressing a welcome for the Trisolaran civilization to come to Earth. Her message stated: "Come here. I will help you obtain this world." This sentence became the most weighty invitation in human history, substituting one person's will for a civilization-level decision on behalf of all humanity.
Far-Reaching Consequences
Ye Wenjie's reply signal was once again transmitted into space through the solar amplification effect. Upon receiving the reply, the Trisolaran civilization precisely confirmed Earth's location. The Trisolaran governing body immediately began comprehensive preparations for invading Earth — constructing an interstellar fleet, developing sophon technology to lock down Earth's fundamental scientific development. From this moment, an irreversible process of civilizational collision spanning centuries was set in motion.
Listener 1137's fate is not explicitly stated in the original novel, but it can be surmised that he was eventually discovered and executed by the Trisolaran governing body. He was one of the few characters in the Three-Body series to demonstrate cross-civilizational empathy. His warning could have changed everything — had Ye Wenjie chosen to heed it, humanity might never have faced the Three-Body Crisis. But history allows no "what-ifs," and Ye Wenjie's personal trauma ultimately transformed into a catastrophe for all of humanity.